Government agencies in Beijing and Shanghai have stopped issuing M (business) visa invitation letters, and Chinese consulates abroad will instead accept invitation letters from Chinese companies in those cities in support of M visa applications.
This change is expected to reduce the time it takes to obtain an M visa in many cases, as Beijing and Shanghai companies no longer need to obtain a government letter of invitation. The Foreign Affairs Offices and Commercial Bureaus in both Beijing and Shanghai confirmed the new policy, which local authorities in other cities have not yet implemented.
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